Carbon tax increase adds to Canadians cost of living

The jump at the pumps was no April Fool’s prank as the tax on gasoline increased on April 1 to $0.17 cents per litre from $0.14 per litre.

BC has had a carbon tax since 2008. The provincial tax is separate from the federal tax implemented in many other provinces. As such, the rebates available to Canadians in those provinces are not the same as those offered here. In BC, carbon tax rebates are income tested and only available to those earning less than $61,465 per year.

“The Chamber supports climate action leadership, and the idea of a carbon tax has its merits,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “What needs further examination is how the revenue from this tax is being used. We know innovation led by business is key to finding climate change solutions and that requires reducing the burden on the private sector.”